Annex E
TYPICAL QUERY RECEIVED VIA THE NCCC RE THE
METHOD OF CHARGING FOR DISPOSING OF SEWAGE EFFLUENT
Dear .......
DISCHARGES TO
CONTROLLED WATER
CHARGES: REFERENCE
XXXXX
I refer to earlier correspondence concerning
charges for your consent and I am pleased to note that the charge
in respect of your consent has now been corrected and that your
account will be credited £172.47 as a result of this.
The charging scheme, which has been in place
since 1999, stipulates that "where a consent or authorisation
restricts a discharge from taking place for a consecutive period
of three months or more during a year, the charge shall be reduced
by 4% per calendar month of restriction". This assumes
a special condition is included on the consent which states the
months during which discharges can be made.
You will appreciate that the aim of subsistence
charges is to recover the full costs associated with the regulatory
activities. There are activities that need to be carried out regardless
of when discharges are actually made, such as collection of environmental
chemical and bacteriological samples, maintenance of public registers,
technical investigations and dealing with enquiries from the public.
Consequently we can only reduce charges to a certain level and
under specific conditions. We are, however, carrying out a fundamental
review of this scheme and will take into account any issues such
as this during the development stage.
Please find enclosed a leaflet which provides
details on the Parliamentary Ombudsman who you may contact on
issues such this.
I trust this clarifies the position.
Charges Project Accountant
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